There are lots of ways to strike it rich in a casino. Go on a major blackjack run. Hit a roulette longshot. Crush a World Series of Poker tournament. But for sheer excitement, it’s tough to beat the exhilaration that comes from putting chump change into a slot machine, pressing a button, and suddenly being rewarded a princely sum.
Right now, just a little bit more than halfway through 2025, there already exists an unofficial struck-it-rich club of slot machine winners. Here is a roundup of fortune hunters who found what they were looking for by playing what used to be known as one-armed bandits. Maybe you will be next to welcome a windfall.
If this article interests you, keep reading. Alternatively, explore other topics like blackjack strategy and how to play roulette.
Wheel of Great Fortune
In May, a Virginia man by the name of Thomas Shaver happened to be at Ocean Casino in Atlantic City. Some casinos are closer to where he lives than the ones in AC, but, clearly, he was in the right place at the right time.
Shaver inserted $7 into the machine – Ocean was playing up its seventh anniversary and promised $7 million worth of events and prizes – pushed a button, and watched the machine’s screen light up with a $670,915 payout. Seven was definitely the auspicious number that day in Atlantic City.
Casino of the Sky-High Prize Money
There are plenty of good reasons to visit Casino of the Sky at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. The casino within a casino features the world’s largest indoor planetarium, a dance club, and an indoor waterfall. But, of course, the real draw is a 119,000-square-foot gaming floor with more than 1,800 slot machines.
In January, a guest at the hotel was lucky to find himself drawn to a progressive slot machine – with a jackpot that builds up and waits to be hit – based on the movie Jumanji: The Next Level. Playing for $3 per spin, the player hit the huge jackpot, taking down $1,374,307.
Considering that he became an instant millionaire, you can argue that, suddenly, the gambler was taken to the next level in his own right.
The Wheel Strikes Again!
A man identified as Michael H. and his wife had a habit of visiting Gila River Resorts & Casino, in Arizona, on Sundays. But, for a range of reasons (including a dog sitter backing out at the last minute), they wound up at Gila River on a Saturday afternoon in May. That may not have been the couple's slot machine strategy, but the move paid off.
Michael, a veteran of the U.S. military, played the Wheel of Fortune slot machine and all the pieces of good luck locked in: He suddenly won $1,033,590 on the spin of a lifetime.
Michael and his wife are putting the money to good use. Freshly flush, they plan to purchase a new home and spend more time with their grandchildren.
Ever the gent, Michael gave well-earned credit to his better half. Speaking to the local TV 6 news, he acknowledged that the Saturday casino visit was her idea.
“I’m glad I listened to my wife,” he said. “Now we’re leaving [the casino] big winners.”
They Don’t Call It Megabucks For Nothing
A woman on her way to a store planning to do a little shopping, stopped at Eagle Mountain Casino in California. Reportedly, she hoped to win a few dollars so that she could purchase a few extra things at the store.
Considering that the Megabucks slot machine paid off for $3.1 million, she might now be able to buy the entire store. Initially, though, she seemed unsure about what exactly happened with her slot machine wager.
“At first she was shocked,” a casino worker told the local ABC News. “I don’t think she knew she won. When I told her, it was a blank stare. [The massive score] made her happy.”
No kidding.
Family members went further, calling the win “an unexpected blessing.” Best of all, the lucky slot player seemed adamant to not let her millionaire status upend her life. The next morning, it’s been reported, she went to work as usual.
Two’s a Charm
It’s one thing to feed a load of money into a slot machine – and have lots of cash in reserve on the way to a big haul. But in March, a gambler at Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas found out that you don’t have to bet big to win big. The person, identified as James, also discovered that sometimes the lucky moment comes when you need it most.
This player put $2 into a Dollar Storm slot machine. After that wager, according to a Facebook post, James had only $2.10 in his pocket. But that small sum became a moot point when everything went right with the Dollar Storm machine and James became the recipient of $1,016,145.
As a fellow Circa customer posted on Facebook soon after the big win, “Wow! I was playing next to him at other machines last night. Who knew I was sitting next to a millionaire?”
A Speedy Win
Most people who win money at slot machines in casinos maintain their anonymity. They might give a first name. But they usually avoid sharing a whole lot of information.
Such was not the case for Denny Hamlin, a NASCAR star who was in town for a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Prior to hitting the track, he happened to be in a casino where he put $300 into a slot machine. He snagged a $126,000 jackpot.
Despite the fact that he routinely races for lots of dough, this win nevertheless flipped out Hamlin in a good way.
Like most people who win big at the slots, he jumped up and started yelling with excitement. Making it even better, he returned a night later and won an additional $85,000 and change.
Before his first Speedway lap, Hamlin reaped a total in excess of $211,000. Ultimately, however, he had more luck at the slots than on the track. Most likely, though, his slot machine windfall must have taken some of the sting out of a 25th place finish in the race.
